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Francis P. Conant Papers

Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Names:
Hunter College. Department of Anthropology  Search this
Goldschmidt, Walter, 1913-2010  Search this
Naguib, Mohammed, 1901-  Search this
Extent:
20 Linear feet ((43 boxes) plus 25 digital storage media and 5 map folders )
Culture:
Southern Bauchi languages  Search this
Suk (African people)  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Field recordings
Maps
Field notes
Manuscripts
Electronic records (digital records)
Correspondence
Sound recordings
Photographs
Place:
Africa, French-speaking West
Sahara
Egypt
Ethiopia
Uganda
West Pokot District (Kenya)
Bauchi Province (Nigeria)
Belgian Congo
Finland
Morocco
Sudan
Date:
1946-2011
bulk 1953-2008
Summary:
The papers of Francis P. Conant document his anthropological work and, to a lesser extent, his previous career as a journalist and photographer. Francis Paine Conant was a cultural anthropologist who pioneered the use of satellite data in anthropology. He conducted fieldwork in Nigeria and Kenya, and his research interests spanned cultural ecology, AIDS, malaria, and sex and gender studies. He was also Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Hunter College, where he taught from 1962 to 1995.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Francis P. Conant document his anthropological work and, to a lesser extent, his previous career as a journalist and photographer. The bulk of the collection consists of his field work in Africa, specifically his doctoral research among the Barawa in Nigeria during the 1950s; his work among the Pokot in Kenya for Walter Goldschimdt's Culture and Ecology in East Africa Project during the 1960s; and his later research among the Pokot during the 1970s incorporating remote sensing tools. These materials include his dissertation, field notes, kinship charts, maps, correspondence, photographs, and sound recordings. The collection also contains photographs, correspondence, and writings relating to the Bernheim-Conant expedition through Africa. Among the photos are Polaroids of Mohammad Naguib, first president of Egypt. Also present in the collection are his published and unpublished academic writings, his writings and correspondence as a news correspondent in Finland, and files from courses that he taught. In addition, the collection contains some of Conant's digital files, which have not yet been examined. Overall there is little correspondence in the collection, aside from some letters scattered throughout the collection relating to his research and writings (both as an academic and a journalist).
Arrangement:
Collection is organized into 9 series: 1) Nigeria, 1956-1960, undated; 2) Kenya, 1961-1974, undated; 3) Remote Sensing, 1967, 1971, 1976-1984, 1991-1992, 2002; 4) Bernheim-Conant Expedition, 1953-1956; 5) Writings, 1960-1966, 1974-1995, 2000-2006, undated; 6) University Files, 1956-1957, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1982-1995, undated; 7) Biographical Files and Letters, circa 1940, CIRCA 1946-1947, 1951, 1955, 1979, 1989-1991, 1996-2000, 2007-2011, undated; 8) Sound Recordings, 1956-1965, 1971, 1977-1978, undated; 9) Digital Files
Biographical / Historical:
Francis Paine Conant was a cultural anthropologist who pioneered the use of satellite data in anthropology. He conducted fieldwork in Nigeria and Kenya, and his research interests spanned cultural ecology, AIDS, malaria, and sex and gender studies. He was also Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Hunter College, where he taught from 1962 to 1995.

Conant was born on February 27, 1926 in New York City. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, he deferred college to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1944. He served as a field artillery observer for the 294th Field Artillery Battalion and helped liberate two concentration camps during World War II. After he was honorably discharged in 1946, he attended Cornell University, where he obtained his B.A. in 1950. While at Cornell, a Finnish student invited Conant to Finland to help relocate families, farms, and livestock further from the Russian border, a protective measure against another Russian invasion. Conant accepted his invitation and took time off from his academic studies to spend several months in Finland in 1947, as well as a summer in 1949.

After graduating from Cornell, Conant attended University of Iowa's graduate writing program for a short time. Dissatisfied with the program, he worked briefly for the Carnegie Endowment, during which time he occasionally served as a personal driver for Alger Hiss. In 1951, he returned to Finland to pursue a career in journalism. He worked for United Press International until 1953.

From December 5, 1953 to May 26, 1954, Conant traveled throughout Africa as part of the Bernheim-Conant Expedition for the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). The expedition was led by Claude Bernheim, the father of his first wife, Miriam. They traveled 16,000 miles through Northern Central and Eastern Africa, collecting film footage and material culture for the museum. Conant served as the writer and photographer for the expedition, publishing illustrated articles in the New York Times and Natural History Magazine.

He later returned to Africa as a doctoral student at Columbia University, where he earned his PhD in Anthropology in 1960. After studying the Hausa language at the International African Institute in London, he traveled to Nigeria as a Fellow of the Ford Foundation to carry out his fieldwork in Dass Independent District, Bauchi Province. Working among the Barawa that live in the mountains of Dass, he focused on their religion and its impact on the technology, social and political organization, and structure of their society. His dissertation was titled "Dodo of Dass: A Study of a Pagan Religion of Northern Nigeria." During his fieldwork, he also collected data on rock gongs, which were first identified and written about by Bernard Fagg in 1955.

In 1961 to 1962, Conant was a research associate for Walter Goldschmidt's Culture and Ecology in East Africa Project. The purpose of the project was to conduct a controlled comparison of four different East African societies and the farmers and pastoralists within each tribe. Conant was assigned to conduct ethnographic research among the Pokot in West Pokot District in Kenya. This research would form the basis of his remote sensing work in the same area more than a decade later. Conant was first introduced to remote sensing data in 1974 when his colleague Priscilla Reining showed him Landsat imagery of one his former fieldwork sites. He was inspired by the potential applications of satellite data to study cultural and ecological relationships. In 1975, he and Reining organized a workshop on "Satellite Potentials for Anthropological Studies of Subsistence Activities and Population Change." He incorporated remote sensing tools in his 1977 to 1980 study of the changing cultivation patterns and management of livestock in West Pokot District. His research combined traditional fieldwork (which included data he had collected in the 1960s), LANDSAT data, and geospatial data collected from the ground.

Later in his career, Conant's research interests expanded to include the spread of diseases, specifically AIDS and malaria. He, along with Priscilla Reining, John Bongaarts, and Peter Way found that uncircumcised men were 86% more likely to contract HIV than circumcised men. Their findings were published in their paper "The Relationship Between Male Circumcision and HIV Infection in African Populations" (1989). His research on malaria focused on the spread of the disease during African prehistory.

Conant taught briefly at Columbia University and was an Assistant Professor at University of Massachusetts, at Amherst in 1960-1961. Most of his academic career was spent at Hunter College, where he served as Chair of the Anthropology Department several times. He also founded and headed the college's Research Institute in Aruba.

Conant was a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University's Pitts Rivers Museum in 1968-1969. He was also a fellow of the American Anthropological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International African Institute, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Anthropological Institute. In addition, he was actively involved with the Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Conant died at the age of 84 on January 29, 2011.

Sources Consulted

Bates, Daniel G. 2011. Francis P. Conant: A Tribute to a Friend of Human Ecology. Human Ecology 39(2): 115.

Bates, Daniel and Oliver Conant. Francis P. Conant. Anthropology News. 52(5): 25.

Conant, Veronika. Email message to Lorain Wang, October 22, 2013.

[Curriculum Vitae], Series 7. Biographical Files and Letters, Francis Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Francis P. Conant. http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/anthropology/faculty-staff/in-remembrance/francis-p.-conant [accessed August 23, 2013].

1926 -- Born February 27 in New York City, New York

1944-1946 -- Enlists in Army and serves in World War II as a flash ranger in 294th Field Artillery Battalion

1950 -- Earns B.A. from Cornell University in English and Russian, minor in Engineering

1953-1954 -- AMNH Bernheim-Conant Expedition to northern Africa

1957 -- Conducts language studies at the International African Institute

1957-1959 -- Conducts fieldwork in northern Nigeria

1960 -- Earns PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University

1960-1961 -- Assistant Professor, Anthropology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

1961-1962 -- Research Associate for Culture and Ecology in East Africa Project directed by Walter Goldschimdt

1962 -- Joins faculty at Hunter College

1968-1969 -- Fulbright Senior Research Fellow, Oxford University, Pitt-Rivers Museum

1977-1980 -- Sets up remote sensing monitoring area in West Pokot district in Kenya. Studies changing cultivation patterns and management of livestock

1995 -- Retires from Hunter College; Emeritus Professor

2011 -- Dies on January 29 at the age of 84
Related Materials:
For additional materials at the National Anthropological Archives relating to Francis Conant, see the papers of Priscilla Reining and John Lawrence Angel. His film collection is at the Human Studies Film Archives.

Artifacts and film collected during the Bernheim-Conant Expedition, his doctoral research in Nigeria, and his fieldwork in Kenya during the 1960s and 70s are at the American Museum of Natural History. He also deposited collections at the Pitts River Museum at the University of Oxford.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Francis Conant's widow Veronika Conant in 2012.
Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Remote sensing  Search this
Journalism  Search this
Musical instruments -- Nigeria  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Subsistence farming -- Kenya  Search this
Subsistence herding -- Kenya  Search this
Human ecology  Search this
Landsat satellites  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field recordings
Maps
Field notes
Manuscripts
Electronic records (digital records)
Correspondence
Sound recordings
Photographs
Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.2012-13
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw353adee01-90b3-4434-ace0-16b4f5ce003f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-2012-13
Online Media:

Harold K. Schneider papers

Correspondent:
Fallers, Lloyd  Search this
Evans-Pritchard, Edward Evans  Search this
Forde, Cyril Daryll, 1902-  Search this
Godelier, Maurice  Search this
Fortes, Meyer  Search this
Hansen, Judith  Search this
Goody, Jack  Search this
Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978  Search this
Herskovits, Melville J. (Melville Jean), 1895-1963  Search this
Merriam, Alan P. (Alan Parkhurst), 1923-1980  Search this
Fenton, William N. (William Nelson), 1908-2005  Search this
Winter, Edward H.  Search this
Tax, Sol, 1907-1995  Search this
Southall, Aidan, 1920-2009  Search this
Richards, Audrey  Search this
Peristiany, John  Search this
Narroll, Raoul  Search this
Murdock, George Peter, 1897-1985  Search this
Moore, Joseph G.  Search this
Bascom, William Russell, 1912-1981  Search this
Creator:
Schneider, Harold Kenneth, 1925-1987  Search this
Names:
Society for Economic Anthropology (U.S.)  Search this
Extent:
21 Sound tape reels
10.3 Linear feet
Culture:
Suk (African people)  Search this
Pokot  Search this
Turu  Search this
Nyaturu (African people)  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Place:
Africa
Date:
1919-1960
bulk 1949-1960
Summary:
Harold K. Schneider was an economic anthropologist specialized in Africa. He was trained at Northwestern University (Ph.D., 1953) and taught at Lawrence University (1953-1970) and Indiana University (1970-1987). The Schneider papers comprise mainly sets of documents relating to fieldwork in East Africa. The collection includes a few original fieldnotes, complete copies of expanded typscript versions of the notes, collations of data on subject categories, lexicons and other linguistic material, indexes, maps, and a few photographs. Also among the material are translations of German sources and copies of notes based on archival material, particularly material produced in colonial district offices. A small quantity of material concerning Africa generally reflects Schneider's broad interest in Africa and African pastoral economies.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Harold K. Schneider are primarily comprised of documents relating to his fieldwork in East Africa. One part concerns the Pokot (Suk), a pastoral people of Kenya, among whom Schnieder conducted fieldwork in 1951-1952 and about whom he wrote his dissertation. Another part concerns the Turu, a pastoral people of Tanzania, whom Schneider visited in 1959-1960.

The collection includes original fieldnotes, complete copies of expanded typescript versions of the notes, collations of data by subject categories, lexicons and other linguistic material, indexes, maps and a few photographs. Also among the materials are translations of German documents, copies of archival items, and notes from archival research, especially in records of colonial district offices. A small quantity of material concerning Africa in general reflects Schneider's broad interests in Africa and African pastoral economies. There are also a number of sound recordings, mainly recordings of Schneider's own lectures but also including a lecture by historian George Stocking.

There is also an alphabetical file based on personal names that includes correspondence, obituaries and publications. Notable contacts include William R. Bascom, G. Boulogne, John Bucklew, Stephan Borhegyi, E.E. Evans-Pritchard, Father Delbert Ewing, Lloyd A. Fallers, George Fathauer, William N. Fenton, Daryll Forde, Meyer Fortes, H.A. Fosbrooke, Padraic Frucht, Alexander Galloway, James Gibbs, Maurice Godelier, J.R. Good, Melville J. Herskovits, Hubert H. Humphrey, Father Raymond F. Kelly, Edward E. LeClair, Jr., Alan P. Merriam, James Moody, Joseph G. Moore, Leonard Moss, Raoul Narroll, Maxine Nimitz, J. Peristiany, Nathan M. Pusey, Audry I. Richards, Chandler W. Rowe, Aidan W. Southall, Kathleen Stahl, Roy Swanson, Curtis W. Tarr, Sol Tax, and E.H. Winter.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 6 series: 1. Personal name file (includes correspondence); 2. Pokot Material; 3. Turu Material; 4. Other Materials (comprising draft manuscripts, conference papers, lecture notes and typescripts of Turu fieldnotes; 5. General Africa Materials; 6. Sound recordings.
Biographical Note:
Harold K. Schneider was an economic anthropologist who specialized in Africa. He began his undergraduate studies at Macalester College, attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (1946-48), then returned to Macalester to complete his degree, majoring in sociology with a minor in biology (B.A., 1949). He received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Northwestern University (where he studied with Melville Herskovits) in 1953. Following his fieldwork among the Pokot of Kenya, Scheider accepted a position as instructor of anthropology at Lawrence University (1953-1970). He conducted fieldwork among the Turu of Tanzania in 1959-60, from which he further developed his theories in economic anthropology. He served as the president of the Central States Anthropological Society (1965); as founding president of the Society for Economic Anthropology (1982-84); and as associate editor for American Ethnologist (1980-84). In 1970, he joined the faculty of Indiana University, where he remained until his death on May 2, 1987.

1925 -- Born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on August 24, 1925

1946-48 -- Attends Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

1949 -- Receives his B.A. in sociology from Macalester College

1948 -- Marries Carol Snyder on September 11, 1948

1951-52 -- Receives a Fulbright grant to conduct fieldwork among the Pokot (Suk) of Kenya

1953 -- Receives his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Northwestern University

1953-70 -- Begins as an Instructor at Lawrence University

1959-60 -- Receives the National Science Foundation research grant to conduct fieldwork among the Turu of Tanzania

1961 -- Chairman of the anthropology department at Lawrence University

1965 -- President of the Central States Anthropological Society

1970 -- Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University at Bloomington

1980-84 -- Associate editor for American Ethnologist

1980-82 -- First president of the Society for Economic Anthropology

1987 -- Remains employed at Indiana University until his death on May 2.
Separated Materials:
Films from this collection were transferred to the Human Studies Film Archives (Harold K. Schneider films, HSFS.1995.06).
Provenance:
Received from Carol S. Schneider in 1987 and 1994.
Restrictions:
The Harold K. Schneider papers are open for research.

Access to the Harold K. Schneider papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Uriha -- Turu  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Citation:
Harold K. Schneider Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.1994-19
See more items in:
Harold K. Schneider papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a1cf8d11-6455-451c-aec1-c3c0aca1c17c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-1994-19

Marilyn Houlberg Nigeria collection

Photographer:
Houlberg, Marilyn  Search this
Extent:
6567 Slides (photographs) (11 Binders, color)
14 Documents (1 Binder)
1,946 Slides (Color, 35 mm)
Culture:
Yoruba (African people)  Search this
Nigerians  Search this
Tuaregs  Search this
Fulani  Search this
Nuba  Search this
Igbo (African people)  Search this
Turkana  Search this
Pokot  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Slides (photographs)
Documents
Slides
Color slides
Photographic prints
Photographs
Place:
Nigeria
Africa
Lagos (Nigeria)
Date:
1961-circa 2005
Summary:
The collection consists of 8,515 color slides taken by Dr. Marilyn Houlberg during various field studies among the Yoruba in southwest Nigeria between 1961 and circa 2007. The images depict Yoruba art and culture with a special focus on artisans, art objects, body arts, costume, festivals, hairstyles, indigenous photography, weaving and textiles. Cultural events depicted include Balufon festivals, Egungun and Gelede masquerades, social events (weddings, christenings, funerals), and religious ceremonies (initiation and animal sacrifice). Also included are various scenes of daily life, architecture, food preparation, markets, portraits and landscapes. Houlberg extensively documented Yoruba artists in the process of creating their art, including carvers Yesufu Ejigboye, Runshewe, and Lamidi Fakeye, as well as the final pieces themselves. Houlberg documentated art in situ, such as Yoruba house posts, shrines, wall art and wood doors and art objects, including Gelede masks, Ibeji (twin) and Eshu figures, Osanyin staffs, and Ogboni and Shango shrines. Manuscript and printed materials, including Houlberg's resume, thesis, and numerous published articles are also available in this collection.
Scope and Contents note:
This 6,567 slide collection documents Houlberg's studies in Southwestern Nigeria spanning from 1961 to circa 2005. In 2015, Houlberg donated an additional 1,948 color slides to the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives. These slides have been added to the EEPA 2005-002 finding aid, bringing the total to 8,515 slides.

The collection primarily includes photos of people, including the Ogboni, Pokot, Yoruba, Turkana and Igbo, shrines, festivals and rituals, art objects, and artists. A particular strength of the collection are photos of Balufon festivals, Egungun and Gelede masquerades, social events (weddings, christenings, funerals), and religious ceremonies (initiation and animal sacrifice). Also included are various scenes of daily life, architecture, food preparation, markets, portraits and landscapes. Houlberg mostly photographed in Ilishan, Ikenne, Ilara, Shagamu, Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, and Egbe.

Houlberg extensively documented Yoruba artists in the process of creating their art, including carvers Yesufu Ejigboye, Runshewe, and Lamidi Fakeye, as well as the final pieces themselves. Houlberg documentated art in situ, such as Yoruba house posts, shrines, wall art, wood doors and art objects, including Gelede masks, Ibeji (twin) and Eshu figures, Osanyin staffs, and Ogboni and Shango shrines. Several Yoruba art forms, including photography, scarification tattoos, and textiles (both cloth and dress), are represented in the collection. Additionally, there are numerous slides of Yoruba hairstyles, many of which she published in her article, Social Hair: Tradition and Change in Yoruba Hairstyles in Southwestern Nigeria.

Yoruba ritual specialists, such as Ife-olu Solaru, Olufunke, and Yesufu Ejigboye, appear frequently throughout the collection. Houlberg documented her many stays with these individuals over the years.

There is also one binder of manuscript and printed materials, including Houlberg's resume, thesis, and numerous published articles.
Arrangement note:
The collection is organized into 29 series according to subject. The series descriptions correspond with particular subjects used in Houlberg's teaching and lectures, and based on donor's notes. All slides were kept in the order in which they were donated.

Series 1: African Hairstyles, circa 1973-1994 (Binder 1; 212 slides)

Series 2: Egungun Festival, 1961-circa 1988 (Binder 1; 362 slides)

Series 3: Gelede, circa 1969-circa 1989 (Binder 2; 301 slides)

Series 4: Ibeji Twins, circa 1969-circa 1990 (Binders 2-3; 854 slides)

Series 5: Ogboni Art Objects and Shrines, circa 1969-circa 1982 (Binder 4; 92 slides)

Series 6: Art Objects Depicting Ogun, circa 1969-circa 1983 (Binder 4; 56 slides)

Series 7: Olojufoforo Art and Festivities, circa 1968-circa 1975 (Binder 4; 21 slides)

Series 8: Yoruba People, Architecture, and Art, circa 1969-circa 1985 (Binder 4; 260 slides)

Series 9: Carving, Art Objects and Artists, and Scenes of Daily Life, circa 1973-circa 1988 (Binder 4; 201 slides)

Series 10: Yoruba Art, circa 1971-circa 1983 (Binder 5; 49 slides)

Series 11: Yoruba Textiles, circa 1973-circa 1983 (Binder 5; 84 slides)

Series 12: Yoruba, Miscellaneous, circa 1967-circa 1989 (Binder 5; 251 slides)

Series 13: African Art, Textiles People, and Dwellings, circa 1963-circa 1983 (Binder 6; 58 slides)

Series 14: Ibo Mbari and Igbo Peoples and Artwork, circa 1967-circa 1985 (Binder 6; 212 slides)

Series 15: Art and Ceremonies, circa 1967-circa 1991 (Binder 6; 493 slides)

Series 16: Body Arts, Nuba People (Sudan) and Fulani and Bororo People (Niger), circa 1973-circa 1979 (Binder 7; 64 slides)

Series 17: People, Scenic Views and Animals of Kenya, Sudan, Angola, and Ghana, circa 1972-circa 1985 (Binder 7; 168 slides)

Series 18: Peoples and Arts of Ghana, Mali, and the Ivory Coast, circa 1966-circa 1992 (Binder 7; 406 slides)

Series 19: Published Maps and Photos, circa 1968-circa 1985 (Binder 8; 70 slides)

Series 20: Nigerian Masks and Art Objects, circa 1967-circa 1978 (Binder 8; 396 slides)

Series 21: Yoruba Festivals, People, and Art in Nigeria, circa 1967-circa 1988 (Binders 8-9; 128 slides)

Series 22: Yoruba Photography and Textiles, circa 1975-circa 1983 (Binder 9; 54 slides)

Series 23: Ife-Olu, Ilishan, circa 1980-circa 1988 (Binder 9; 87 slides)

Series 24: Yoruba Festivals, People, Hairstyles, Ibeji Objects, Eshu Figures, and Oya and Orishala Priests, Priestesses, and Shrines, circa 1966-circa 1988 (Binder 9; 168 slides)

Series 25: Shango, circa 1970-circa 1983 (Binder 10, 162 slides)

Series 26: Ara Festival, 1975 (Binder 10; 174 slides)

Series 27: Ceremonies and Festivals, Portraits, Art and Ceremonial Objects, Domestic and Market Scenes, circa 1969-circa 2005 (Binders 10-11; 759 slides)

Series 28: Yoruba Art Objects, and Domestic, Work, and Festival Scenes, circa 1971-circa 1983 (Binder 11; 104 slides)

Series 29: Manuscript and Printed Materials, 1973-circa 2005 (Binder 12)
Biographical/Historical note:
Artist, anthropologist, and art historian Dr. Marilyn Hammersley Houlberg was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1939. Houlberg received an Associate of Arts degree from Wright Junior College (1959) and a BFA from the University of Chicago (1963). After graduating, she traveled to North Africa and explored Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. In 1964, Houlberg researched Haitian art, religion, and indigenous photography in Haiti and in 1965 was awarded a scholarship for graduate study from the University of Chicago. There she completed her MAT in Art History in 1967. Following graduation, Houlberg worked at the Nigerian Museum in Lagos, where she documented Yoruba sculpture, masquerades, religion, body art, and indigenous photography.

She began her teaching career at the University of Chicago as a lecturer on African art and African civilization, working there from 1971 to 1973. At the University of London, Houlberg earned a Masters in Anthropology, producing the thesis Yoruba Twin Sculpture and Ritual (1973). She also extensively photographed her travels abroad in Yorubaland. Between 1974 and 1990, Houlberg taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia College, Kalamazoo College, and Northwestern University. From 1974 to 2008 she continued teaching at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, lecturing on Yoruba art and ritual in West Africa and the New World, and the art and ritual of Vodou in Haiti.

Houlberg has lectured worldwide at numerous museums and symposiums since 1972, including in Lagos, Nigeria; Jacmel, Haiti; Toronto, Canada; Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; and Cologne, Germany. Her essays have been published in several issues of African Arts. Some of Houlberg's significant publications include Arts of the Water Spirits of Haitian Vodou, in Sacred Waters: Arts for Mami Wata and Other Divinities in Africa and the Diaspora (2008) and Water Spirits of Haitian Vodou: Lasiren, Queen of Mermaids, in Mami-Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and the African-Atlantic World (2008). The exhibition Mami-Wata at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (2009) featured her photographs.
Provenance:
Marilyn Houlberg, 733 West 18th St., Chicago, IL 60616, Donation, 20050320, 2005-0002
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Occupation:
Weavers  Search this
Artists  Search this
Topic:
Shrines  Search this
Masks  Search this
Domestic scenes  Search this
Egúngún (Cult)  Search this
Ethnology -- Nigeria  Search this
Gelede (Yoruba rite)  Search this
Hairstyles -- Africa  Search this
Rites and ceremonies -- Africa  Search this
Clothing and dress -- Africa  Search this
Marketplaces  Search this
Masquerades  Search this
Ere ibeji  Search this
Works of art in situ  Search this
Art, African  Search this
Vernacular architecture  Search this
Festivals  Search this
Genre/Form:
Color slides
Photographic prints
Photographs
Citation:
Marilyn Houlberg Nigeria Collection, EEPA 2005-002, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
EEPA.2005-002
See more items in:
Marilyn Houlberg Nigeria collection
Archival Repository:
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo729173a75-b645-455f-b66b-ae08d0d2102e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-eepa-2005-002

Cissampelos mucronata A. Rich.

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1100  Search this
Place:
K2, West Pokot District, along Morun River, 2 km towards Marich Pass from crossing of Kipro River., West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Ranunculales Menispermaceae
Published Name:
Cissampelos mucronata A. Rich.
Barcode:
03578581
USNM Number:
3002460
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/34d1636fa-de31-4ac2-beef-75744589fd88
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_15192240

Dorstenia hildebrandtii Engl.

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1175  Search this
Place:
Kenya, K2, West Pokot District, Sigor-Kapenguria road, crossing of Kipro River. Riverine forest., West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Rosales Moraceae
Published Name:
Dorstenia hildebrandtii Engl.
Barcode:
03668959
USNM Number:
3002464
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/37ed477a4-faf4-4f20-8b93-51849f1edd1c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_15276878

Erythrococca sp. Benth.

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Edgar A. Mearns  Search this
Min. Elevation:
3000  Search this
Place:
Bamboo zone, western slopes of Mount Kenia (Kenya), along the trail from West Kenia (Kenya) Forest Station to summit., West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
28 Sep 1909 to 7 Oct 1909
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Malpighiales Euphorbiaceae
Published Name:
Erythrococca sp. Benth.
Barcode:
01255051
USNM Number:
632328
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Crowdsourcing Project
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3685dbedb-d4cf-4f7c-b6e0-e8100ae164a4
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_11454794

Bridelia micrantha (Hochst.) Baill.

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1100  Search this
Place:
Along Morun River, 2 km towards Marich Pass from crossing of Kipro River, West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Malpighiales Phyllanthaceae
Published Name:
Bridelia micrantha (Hochst.) Baill.
Barcode:
01273994
USNM Number:
3002459
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Crowdsourcing Project
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/35d8b4fb0-815e-4d0e-9825-4a752d3484e0
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_11536518
Online Media:

Acalypha fruticosa Forssk.

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Microhabitat Description:
Shrub.  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1100  Search this
Place:
Along Morun River, 2 km towards Marich Pass from crossing of Kipro River., West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Malpighiales Euphorbiaceae
Published Name:
Acalypha fruticosa Forssk.
Barcode:
01287352
USNM Number:
3002448
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b0e39ad0-b29f-41c5-88a9-7892448eef61
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_11681901

Craibia laurentii

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1175  Search this
Place:
Kenya, K2, West Pokot District, Sigor-Kapenguria road, crossing of Kipro River, West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Fabales Fabaceae Papilionoideae
Published Name:
Craibia laurentii
Barcode:
02324579
USNM Number:
3002467
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3c2516372-1cfc-4778-a751-4807767d962a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_13370328

Craibia laurentii

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1175  Search this
Place:
Kenya, K2, West Pokot District, Sigor-Kapenguria road, crossing of Kipro River, West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Fabales Fabaceae Papilionoideae
Published Name:
Craibia laurentii
Barcode:
02324581
USNM Number:
3002465
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/371f4fbea-64b5-4878-9368-7097c2672408
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_13370331

Craibia laurentii

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
1175  Search this
Place:
Kenya, K2, West Pokot District, Sigor-Kapenguria road, crossing of Kipro River, West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
15 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Fabales Fabaceae Papilionoideae
Published Name:
Craibia laurentii
Barcode:
02324580
USNM Number:
3002466
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/390d60eeb-c770-4fa0-b41b-a0cb98c77de9
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_13370332

Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni

Collector:
C. P. Booth  Search this
Weight - Specimen:
9510 g
Length - Total:
1396 mm
Length - Tail:
807 mm
Length - Hind Tarsus:
170 mm
Length - Ear Notch:
38 mm
Length - Head - Body:
589 mm
Preparation:
Skeleton
Skin
Skull
Sex:
Male
Place:
Cherangani, West Pokot District, Rift Valley, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
27 Aug 1962
Taxonomy:
Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Mammalia, Eutheria, Primates, Haplorrhini, Cercopithecidae, Cercopithecinae
Published Name:
Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni
Other Numbers:
Mammals Field Number : CH 1
USNM Number:
452530
See more items in:
Vertebrate Zoology
Mammals
Data Source:
NMNH - Vertebrate Zoology - Mammals Division
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3cca37537-2535-41f8-9acf-5a289c8d051b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhvz_7340305
Online Media:

Headrest

Collector:
Doreen Bolnick  Search this
Donor Name:
Doreen Bolnick  Search this
Culture:
Pokot Pastoral  Search this
Object Type:
Headrest
Place:
Kenya, Africa
Accession Date:
25 Nov 1980
Collection Date:
1972 to 1974
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
343165
USNM Number:
E421414-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3a94bbc33-2b2b-44e9-8b83-b5c30f3b7794
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8454145
Online Media:

Cyathula uncinulata (Schrad.) Schinz

Biogeographical Region:
25 - East Tropical Africa  Search this
Collector:
Robert B. Faden  Search this
Audrey J. Faden  Search this
Min. Elevation:
2360  Search this
Place:
K2, West Pokot District, Cherangani Mts., Kaibwibich Road., West Pokot, Kenya, Africa
Collection Date:
16 Mar 1977
Taxonomy:
Plantae Dicotyledonae Caryophyllales Amaranthaceae
Published Name:
Cyathula uncinulata (Schrad.) Schinz
Barcode:
03543338
USNM Number:
3002475
See more items in:
Botany
Flowering plants and ferns
Data Source:
NMNH - Botany Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3217a0a63-5bcf-4325-9471-608acd49209f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhbotany_15070326

[Pokot kin terms & types, 1 of 2]

Collection Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Container:
Box 15
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
Undated
Collection Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Francis P. Conant Papers / Series 2: Kenya
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3f5e5390c-4cbf-4b25-b354-847f59439ae5
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2012-13-ref124

[Pokot kin terms & types, 2 of 2]

Collection Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Container:
Box 15
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
Undated
Collection Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Francis P. Conant Papers / Series 2: Kenya
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a8d4c0fa-49e5-4c4d-94fa-c45086547d64
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2012-13-ref125

Pokot Tales

Collection Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Container:
Box 15
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
Undated
Collection Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Francis P. Conant Papers / Series 2: Kenya
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw375fe7509-4f14-46dc-80e2-46ca80194255
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2012-13-ref128

Remote Sensing

Collection Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Extent:
3.2 Linear feet
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1967, 1971, 1976-1984, 1991-1992, 2002, undated
Scope and Contents note:
Conant was a pioneer in the use of satellite data in anthropological research. In 1977-1980, he conducted research on human ecology in West Pokot District, Kenya, where he had worked previously during the 1960s. To study the interrelationships between subsistence resources and population change in the sahel of East Africa, he employed satellite data, aerial photography, radiometric measurements (collected using a radiometer/camera that he and his team developed), and traditional anthropological fieldwork.

Most of the files in this series pertain to his research in Kenya using remote sensing tools. These materials include his grant application; field notebooks; spectrometer, radiometer, and compass measurements; sketch maps; records of photos taken; 35mm slides and prints; transcripts of sound recordings; and notes on crops, trees, and grass. This series also contains files relating to his consultancy work for Ecosystems, Ltd. and Kenya's Ministry of Transport and Communications, which involved interpreting aerial photography for changes taking place along rural access roads.

Additional materials in the series include Conant's grant applications for research on the spread of AIDS using satellite data, a paper coauthored by Conant on the development of a portable radiometer/camera, and files relating to a 1992 conference on Anthropology of Human Behavior Through Geographic Information and Analysis. The series also contains information regarding remote sensing equipment and unpublished papers by Ernestine Cary and John Roberts on their research in Kenya involving the use of satellite data.

For other material from Conant's research in Kenya during the 1970s, see Series 8 Sound Recordings, Subseries: Kenya 1970s for an associated sound recording. Series 9. Digital Files contains satellite-related files.
Collection Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.2012-13, Series 3
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw33d210ade-93ba-4d9c-b2ac-d62fe4b65a0a
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2012-13-ref188

[Pokot language notes]

Collection Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Container:
Box 29
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
Undated
Collection Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Francis P. Conant Papers / Series 3: Remote Sensing
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a4545eda-e08a-416e-8f9b-1b65c0923164
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2012-13-ref257

Pokot Prints -- Kenya [1978 Trip]

Collection Creator:
Conant, Francis  Search this
Container:
Box 29
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1978
Collection Restrictions:
The Francis P. Conant Papers are open for research. Access to the Francis P. Conant Papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Francis P. Conant Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Francis P. Conant Papers
Francis P. Conant Papers / Series 3: Remote Sensing
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3f2bcc786-f317-4d4e-a859-e95a2055a131
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2012-13-ref262

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